


the half-overheard heart

by strangesaturday



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Daforge softness from Deanna's POV, Deanna knows what new love feels like, Fluff, M/M, New love, this one feels different
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26264092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangesaturday/pseuds/strangesaturday
Summary: Data and Geordi are finally together. Deanna feels Geordi's love like a matter/antimatter reaction-- what about Data?Super-soft Daforge from the POV of everyone's favorite empath.
Relationships: Data/Geordi La Forge, William Riker/Deanna Troi
Comments: 18
Kudos: 133





	the half-overheard heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DamsonDaForge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DamsonDaForge/gifts).



Deanna Troi felt everything. Every birth, every death, every bitter disappointment and every first kiss that took place on the Enterprise filtered its way through her empathetic heart and mind. She was tapped into the ship’s nervous system, the senior staff’s even more so.

So of course Deanna was the first to know, and of course she had known it was a long time coming. She had ached alongside Geordi, felt his consternation and pain—dealing empathetically with unfulfilled love was nothing new to her. And she had felt when Geordi— sweet, funny, whip-smart, awkward Geordi— was finally rewarded for his patience. He was in love. It was unconcealable. From all the way on deck 36 the engineer’s heart threw off waves of radiant joy, and Deanna basked in the glow of him. New love was always something special, and she would drink it up while she had the chance— she considered it a well-deserved perk of her chosen career.

Deanna felt Geordi’s chest throb with anxiety and pride when the captain, passing him in the corridor, gave him a knowing nod, an understated smile and a “Congratulations, Mr. La Forge.” In that moment Geordi felt _Dad_ _hugging me_ _at_ _academy_ _graduation_ _I’m so proud of you buddy look at the person you’ve grown up into_ _I can’t wait to see where you go from here._ From Data, standing at attention, Deanna felt nothing at all.

She felt Geordi shrink with bashful delight as Beverly, beaming, bumped her shoulder against his: “Hey Chief Engineer, what’s this I hear about you and our favorite synthetic lifeform?” Geordi felt _Mom taking_ _my_ _photo on homecoming night adjusting my collar_ _look how handsome my baby is_ _you be safe and have fun now okay_ _kiddo_ _?_ When Data and the Dancing Doctor twirled in Holodeck 4, Deanna felt nothing at all.

She felt Geordi’s guarded surprise when Worf, sliding an iridescent stein of beer down the bar in Ten-Forward and making little eye contact, intoned, “You should be proud, Commander. You have secured an ideal mate, strong both physically and in spirit. It is an honorable match.” Geordi felt _keeps his heart guarded at arms-length unexpected approval letting me in a moment’_ _s_ _connection there_ _in a flash_ _and gone in an instan_ _t let me in another time._ As Data and Guinan, eyes locked, took shots of real Tellarite whiskey, Deanna felt nothing at all.

She felt when Geordi, accosted in the conference room by William T. Riker sporting a wicked grin, dissolved into riotous laughter, cornered and accused: “What do you mean you were getting around to telling me? I wasn’t the first person on your list? What am I to you, chopped liver? After all we’ve been through together, all the _great_ advice I gave, this is how you repay me!” Geordi felt _don’t worry about those other_ _guys_ _I’ve got your back_ _you and I we’ll stick together never have to stand alone_ _again_ _don’t mention it_ _pal_ _that’s what friends are for_ _._ From Data’s quarters as he fed Spot a dish of pâté, Deanna felt nothing at all.

She felt Geordi’s bemusement when Ensign Ro, handing him a duty roster with a sly expression, quietly remarked, “Hey. Good for you, Chief.” Geordi felt _huh_ _… unexpected… not unwelcome._ Data, raising an eyebrow, said nothing. Deanna felt nothing at all.

And she felt Geordi’s insides erupt in four-alarm fire, get sucked into a current of hormones, choke on his own rowdy pulse, be bowled over by tenderness, churn with anticipation, and finally succumb to the intensity of his love-sickness when Data, encountered unexpectedly in the turbolift, smiled a small smile and whispered: “Hello, Geordi.” Geordi felt _him him him him him him him him him him he’ s mine he’s mine he’s mine he’s mine he’ s mine he’s mine he’s mine he’s mine he’ s mine he’s mine he’s mine he’s mine._ And from Data…

This love was different than any Deanna had vicariously experienced before. New love normally meant two souls— or sometimes more— fizzily celebrating their unification. This time, there was only one. It felt like… one slow dancer. One hand holding. One thrill of excitement. One heart full. It was a singularly singular experience.

Deanna watched them at dinner. Data: quiet. Reserved. A placidly sweet expression. Recently returned from a cybernetics conference. Geordi: animated. Regaling the android with misadventures he’d missed out on. Knees touching under the table. Leaning closer. Hands inching nearer. Fingers intertwined. A kiss.

That night, Deanna dreamed that she was not alone. She was in love with no one, and no one kept her company. She stood in a rolling field, and no one wrapped their arms around her. She lay in a bed of wildflowers, and no one stroked her dark hair. No one tucked budding flowers behind her ears, pressed kisses onto her neck, trailed their fingertips down her arm, and no one softly promised that they loved her. Deanna pressed her lips against a shadow, and as she reached for a hand to hold, she felt her own pulse echo back.

“Imzadi,” Riker whispered, voice groggy, caressing tears from her face. “What’s wrong?”

Waking, Deanna shook her head and wrapped her arms around him. “Nothing’s wrong, Will. Nothing at all.”

Reporting to the bridge for alpha shift, Deanna passed Data’s station at ops, as always. He greeted her pleasantly: “Good morning, Counselor.” In spite of herself, the empath blushed.

When one overhears just half of a conversation, Deanna concluded, it is unreasonable to assume only one person had anything to say. Data was there, in everything Deanna didn’t feel, in everything Geordi didn’t say. Like the hollow of a lover’s cupped hand, the smooth interior of a shell, a remnant of warmth in a pair of recently shed gloves, the afterimage of a holo-camera’s flash. She found Data in the negative space of Geordi’s love.

Geordi met Deanna in her office— not an appointment, just a quiet place for a visit between friends. They sat together, she, _feeling_ his happiness, he, with his VISOR, watching her joy describe itself in fluctuating heat signatures.

Geordi was in love. It was unconcealable. And he was not alone.

“Geordi,” said Deanna. “He loves you.”

Geordi beamed and told her, “I know.”

○●●

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr @ strangesaturday
> 
> join the [daforge discord server!](https://discord.gg/qMAGw5BqXg) it's a chill, deanna-approved time. (18+ only, please)


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